DD2, please give me a break

[BabyBearsMom]

DD2 is in that PITA stage and she is driving me bonkers. Currently she:
1) Won't eat any meat other than hotdogs and chicken nuggets
2) Won't go to sleep unless someone sits in the room with her while she falls asleep. This has been going on for 6 freaking weeks. We tried letting her CIO, but she cried until she vomitted and then had an asthma attack (we were told she only has asthma when she is sick...nope, sorry doc, you were wrong). And if she wakes up in the middle of the night, which she does just about every night, someone has to sit in the room with her until she falls asleep...which means I frequently end up falling asleep on the floor of her room waiting for her to go to sleep and wake up stiff and sore.
3) Fights like a demon about getting into her car seat. You would think the carseat was made of acid. She screams, goes rigid, braces her feet against the back seat. The other day, I was nearly in tears because I spent 15 minutes trying to get her in her seat with no luck and was thinking "Oh my god, what am I going to do? I can't leave the parking lot without her strapped in and I'm not strong enough to strap her in. What am I going to do?"
4) Always wants whichever parent is not available to be the one responsible for dressing her/changing her diaper. This morning, she wanted DH to get her dressed but he was out walking the dog. She slapped me across the face soap opera style when I tried to change her diaper. The other day, she kicked me so hard in the chin that I bit my tongue.

I remember this stage with DD1 but it wasn't nearly this nasty. DD2 is much more stubborn and mean spirited than her sister, the people pleaser, ever was. It is exhausted. I need a break from this. And DD2 was the sweetest little baby. I don't know what happened. Where did my sweet, smiley, snuggly little baby go? Why has she been replaced with the toddler from h3ll?

[elliput]

:hug: Hang in there.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

. DD2 is much more stubborn and mean spirited than her sister, the people pleaser, ever was.

So sorry, but i can totally relate to this!! My first was a classic first-born - perfectionist, well-behaved, people-pleaser...much like DH & I were. We had no terrible twos with him..never really threw tantrums or had meltdowns. Then there was DD. :) She can be super sweet but can be very stubborn and it's almost like she gets a kick out of throwing fits..starting from 13 mo old or so. When we try to get her to do things she has this look that says "Yeah, i'd like to see you make me." It's almost comical. I must say now that she is nearing 3yo she is getting better...so hang in there!! And i'm also finding out ways to laugh at it (sometimes DH and I can't stop laughing when we hear DD screaming in her room over some small "injustice"). DD definitely had the terrible twos alright!!

And yes, DD does that thing where for bed time she only wants the parent that's not available, or the one that is not suggested first. I have no idea where they get that!!

[BunnyBee]

Ugh! Hope it passes soon! When my oldest was that age, I offered a reward for her climbing in her seat and getting buckled without fuss. I used individually wrapped chewy fruit treats (Sunkist gems I think? There's one disc in a wrapper. I pretended they were made with fruit juice and therefore healthy. :) ). I had a newborn and a slow c/s recovery and couldn't physically (or mentally!) fight it otherwise. Hopefully that suggestion isn't out of line for the Bitching Post. :hug:

[BabbyO]

Oh, mama! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I get it this, too, only boy style. Peanut is disarmingly charming and people don't believe me when I tell them he can be a little devil, but he, by far tries my patience far more than Stachio. For the carseat thing...I've found tickling is my best weapon....he might still fight, but if he's being tickled, he can't stay completely rigid...and I don't have the fear that I'll injure him trying to get him in his seat!

My boy consistently only want me...both at the same time. DH says they are fine if I'm not in the house...but yeah. And I asked DH if we could get a twin bed for Peanut instead of his toddler bed so that I can at least sleep in a bed instead of 1/2 on the floor, 1/2 propped on his bed....

Good luck...I keep telling myself "this too, shall pass!"

[petesgirl]

Oh, does this all sounds familiar!! The last few months have been better, though, so don't give up hope!


And I second the small treat while buckling her in. That fight just isn't worth it anymore--keep a bag of small candies around and give her one to get in the seat.

[AngB]

I was pregnant with DS2 already (uh, very pregnant since they are 18 months apart) when DS1 went through the "no carseat" stage. I kept stickers in the car and that helped a lot b/c fighting him in the middle of the summer while 6+ months pregnant really sucked. DS2 is just over 15 months now and is already starting with the bad tantrums. (At least I'm not pregnant? I guess.) I have worked for years in daycare and I swear the 15 month to about 2 yr old age period is my LEAST favorite ever. At least 2 yr olds and 3 yr olds you can somewhat reason with. So not looking forward to it with DS2. He has never been an easy kid and already likes hitting us and crap like that and then cries like his dog is dying if we tell him no. OY.

[anonomom]

I'm so sorry. Two year olds (or nearly 2s) can be the sweetest, most loveable jerks. Hang in there, it'll get better.

[Mommy_Mea]

I am right there with you! *hugs*

[JanBaby]

Yes yes yes!! DS is exactly as you described. I had to throw all my weight into him to force him in the car seat. I dreaded pick up because of it until I found the magical solution of Goldfish. They are sitting on his seat and he can't have them until he's buckled in.

Amen to your sleep struggles too. Right now he falls asleep in his crib but wakes up in the middle of the night. We pull him into bed at this point because we are simply done fighting it after many months. It's just survival al this point!

[bisous]

The car seat thing totally reminds me of DS3. He is SO hard to get into his seat and he only weighs 25 pounds I think if he gains a few more we might have to stay at home or hire a bouncer to get him in his seat, lol. Sleep struggles galore here too. He's the 3rd of 4 kids and by far the hardest in my experience. Some kids are just dang hard. I'm hoping that means they'll be easy teenagers!

[Momit]

Hugs. It's a tough age, for sure.

[BDKmom]

My DD is just a bit younger than yours, and she is hitting this fun stage, also. The only meat she will eat is Tyson chicken tenders and the rest of her acceptable foods are: bananas, yogurt, cheese, and pears. Oh, and waffles and pancakes. That's nutrition, right?!? She started out a much better eater, but somehow, these are now the only acceptable things to her. Also, she has recently been exposed to M&M's and chips (hard to keep the second one shielded from stuff like this, especially with my DH), and she thinks that these are perfectly good breakfast foods. Like will pitch a fit and throw things if I don't give them to her. I'll admit, I have been guilty of giving her an M&M first thing in the morning just so that she will shut up and eat something else :bag

And that bring up the fit throwing. Thankfully, she isn't bad about getting in to the car, but she will get mad about just about anything else. Full on red-faced, stomping, throwing things, screaming mad. She wants the TV on. We are watching the wrong show. DS is playing with something she wants. You name it. Is this a girl thing, a #2 thing, or just her personality? DS was never like this. He would cry over things, but never had a tantrum over anything. She wears me out.

Then there is the constant pick-me-up-no-put-me-down-no-pick-me-up, the I-want-mama-no-I-want-daddy-no-I-want-mama, etc. Just make up your mind already. She wears me out.

And we haven't even made it to 2 yet.

[HonoluluMom]

Hang in there!

Your car seat frustrations totally reminded me of this (funny) blog post!

http://crappypictures.com/toddler-hallucination-theory-car-seats/